Thursday 07 June
Having listened to the weather forecast last night, before we cast off this morning we dressed in the appropriate clothing for a very wet and windy sail up to the locks.
But by the time we got to the arm to put on water we were all soaked through and ready for a change of clothing, when we left the rain was coming down vertical but by the timr we reached the water point it had decided to come at us horizontal so all we had managed to to keep dry was now soaked.
The system (if there is one) for getting boats up the last five locks going on to the Llangollen, is to get all the boats that are going up to moor and wait. however there are only three moorings for 15 boats the other 12 are stroon along the canal in weed beds, grounded in deep mud and generally P***** O** I have never seen anything as chaotic in all my life. But as I was saying to all the irate boaters “if you can’t take a joke you should not have joined up”
Now I am not the worlds best navigator or sailor but I can handle a narrow boat, some of the antics of these boaters were beyond belief. Because of the impatience, intolerance, selfishness and un -co-operation of these boaters It took us from joining the queue at 11.00 until 14.45 to do five locks not that they are difficult its just that nobody has a clue what is happening and to watch two boats pass each other in the pound was like watching two pregnant pigs doing a square dance I still maintain that the easiest way is to wait until the both locks are ready for the boats to leave, both have an empty lock to go into and then its a straight forward swap over. Boating is like anything else in life all you have to do is give it a case of looking at and just do it.
Having escaped the frantic escapades of the lock we headed for Ellesmere when arriving at Ellesmere it was the same old story no moorings, as everyone was going up the arm, doing there shopping at Tesco, then leaving so my tip here is, to block the entrance tell everyone trying to get in that’s its full and wait for one of the shoppers to come out, cheeky maybe but not as cheeky as taking up valuable mooring to do a bit of shopping.
Both boats were soon in a safe mooring and at last out of the bloody rain which was still coming down in stair rods. Both of us had to completely change Again, Having lit a fire, fired up the central heating, the boat now resembles a Chinese laundry with wet clothes, boots and hats and socks drying and steam rising. Its rather a comforting sight and feeling to know we are snug as bugs in a rug.
After all that we were greeted with good news Shirley rang and informed us that Tom was coming home tomorrow at last Noreen has arranged to be there for his home coming
I have a very bad cold and we thought it best if I stay away as to give him a bad cold now would be awful, and of course there is the cost you won’t guess the cost of a rail ticket and to double that I could get have a tank of diesel so I am staying here and cleaning the boat up and nursing my bad chest and runny nose.
Big Al
Having listened to the weather forecast last night, before we cast off this morning we dressed in the appropriate clothing for a very wet and windy sail up to the locks.
But by the time we got to the arm to put on water we were all soaked through and ready for a change of clothing, when we left the rain was coming down vertical but by the timr we reached the water point it had decided to come at us horizontal so all we had managed to to keep dry was now soaked.
The system (if there is one) for getting boats up the last five locks going on to the Llangollen, is to get all the boats that are going up to moor and wait. however there are only three moorings for 15 boats the other 12 are stroon along the canal in weed beds, grounded in deep mud and generally P***** O** I have never seen anything as chaotic in all my life. But as I was saying to all the irate boaters “if you can’t take a joke you should not have joined up”
Now I am not the worlds best navigator or sailor but I can handle a narrow boat, some of the antics of these boaters were beyond belief. Because of the impatience, intolerance, selfishness and un -co-operation of these boaters It took us from joining the queue at 11.00 until 14.45 to do five locks not that they are difficult its just that nobody has a clue what is happening and to watch two boats pass each other in the pound was like watching two pregnant pigs doing a square dance I still maintain that the easiest way is to wait until the both locks are ready for the boats to leave, both have an empty lock to go into and then its a straight forward swap over. Boating is like anything else in life all you have to do is give it a case of looking at and just do it.
Having escaped the frantic escapades of the lock we headed for Ellesmere when arriving at Ellesmere it was the same old story no moorings, as everyone was going up the arm, doing there shopping at Tesco, then leaving so my tip here is, to block the entrance tell everyone trying to get in that’s its full and wait for one of the shoppers to come out, cheeky maybe but not as cheeky as taking up valuable mooring to do a bit of shopping.
Both boats were soon in a safe mooring and at last out of the bloody rain which was still coming down in stair rods. Both of us had to completely change Again, Having lit a fire, fired up the central heating, the boat now resembles a Chinese laundry with wet clothes, boots and hats and socks drying and steam rising. Its rather a comforting sight and feeling to know we are snug as bugs in a rug.
After all that we were greeted with good news Shirley rang and informed us that Tom was coming home tomorrow at last Noreen has arranged to be there for his home coming
I have a very bad cold and we thought it best if I stay away as to give him a bad cold now would be awful, and of course there is the cost you won’t guess the cost of a rail ticket and to double that I could get have a tank of diesel so I am staying here and cleaning the boat up and nursing my bad chest and runny nose.
Big Al
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